Introducing…Little Miss Texas Lone Star!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a pageant winner among us!

There is an incredible story explaining how our youngest got involved with pageantry–more of a story than I have energy to give right now.     I’ll just say that the Lord really does order our steps–that is, when we are willing to step obediently into His plan.    I’m not a pageant person at all, so this event was not one that I championed.   Also, as the time grew nearer, there was mass confusion and plenty of reasons not to go.    Yet, I have to say that if our daughters entered a pageant, this would be the one–no heavy make-up allowed, Christ-filled (though not a Christian pageant per se) with a focus on verbal/ introduction skills.   None of that Toddlers and Tiaras crap here.    When she won was given the crown at the local level, we never saw this blessing coming.

Who’d have thought this beauty began here, in the middle of our 2-day hair straightening process?   And my, how long her hair has grown!    Hadn’t done this since this time last year–more on that in an upcoming post.

She’d probably be embarrassed that I posted that last picture.   Thankfully, she didn’t stay that way for long.   Once we got Cinderella all “gussied up,” she looked splended in her casual outfit.

The hotel lights really didn’t help me out on this shot at all.

In addition to the casual modeling, the littlest ones also needed to model a more formal outfit.

With this being her very first experience of this type, we had coached long and hard regarding how to respond if she didn’t win anything–not crying (at least not in an inappropriate place), recognizing the blessings that did happen, and basking in God’s word about His work in her being marvelous.   But once she took home the crown, sash, and trophy, this smile just about says it all–elated, relieved, proud, and very, very thankful to the Father for His “yes” answer.